Rubber Ring Action! Farewell, Umihara Kawase Screens Swing Online

Agatsuma Entertainment’s new Umihara Kawase game for 3DS has a bunch of new characters. You can play the game as Umihara Kawase (age: 20), kid Umihara Kawase (age: 9), Emiko-chan who is friends with young Umihara Kawase, and Nokko who can slow down time.

Emiko

Nokko

Farewell Umihara Kawase has a time attack mode with online rankings, an image gallery, and unlockable costumes. The game is slated for release this summer in Japan.

This rubber-band slinging looks familiar somehow- though I guess it isn’t TOO unexpected that someone somewhere would have done something similar. I do wonder what will separate these characters aside from Nokkos time-slowing ability, because if they ALL have the rubber band hook I can’t think of a reason to have four of them.

Armane

Do you also question the necessity for Luigi in Mario games?

Sergio Briceño

Nobody dare question that. Made a point. Voted up.

Göran Isacson

A point he may have made, but hold good sir before you buy into his argument as I outline my counter-arguments!

Because yes I am the kind of nerd who will not tolerate someone disrespecting Luigi in the way he just did. Actually this is probably going to turn into a very childish debate so you may as well back out now before he and I devolve into childish namecalling ,it’s probably not gonna be pretty.

Sergio Briceño

Lol, yeah. I don’t think a debate is needed even for the sake of fun XD he clearly loves Luigi too.

I think he just mentioned Luigi because both series involve characters that traverse their own worlds in unique and classic ways. In 2D Mario games you run and jump and in Umihara Kawase games you jump and swing. So even if they did bring new characters one would expect them to vary the formula just a little if at all, like how Luigi jumps higher but has less control.

Edit: Just read that you actually replied to him. Oh boy now I have a read for tonight…

Göran Isacson

I want you to write, in full serious earnesty, that these girls have earned being put on the same level as Luigi. I want to know what kind of text someone who believes these ladies deserve to even shine Luigis shoes would type.

But in all seriousness, yeah I kinda do? SMB2 had him play differently, dude. SMB1 did not but at least in that game it was a way to determine that the player was someone who was NOT Player 1. Sure, SMB3 and World kept him in that role but ever since then you can’t really deny that the guy saw himself removed from most single player games, and when he DID make a comeback he DID play differently from Mario. so I don’t think your argument here holds water- in todays gaming environment you generally don’t feature another character unless that character offers a different sort of experience.

Armane

I like Luigi, so don’t make this about Luigi. It’s about Mario (Umihara Kawase (age 20)) playing differently from Luigi (Umihara Kawase (age 9), Emiko and Nokko).

If you had played Umihara Kawase and it’s sequel Umihara Kawase Shun, you would know exactly why UK plays differently from her older self (which I imagine is the case in Farewell). The article even points out that Nokko can slow down time. And as Puchinri points out, Emiko is touted as the easy mode character.

To give you an example you might be more familiar with, ninja ropes in Worms Armageddon feel different from ninja ropes in Worms Reloaded, even though functionally they are the same.

The differences might be minor (ignoring Nokko’s time ability) but they each give a different feel, exactly like Mario, Luigi, and even Peach & Toad (to complete the analogy).

Göran Isacson

… But if they DO have differences, why are we even having this discussion? My original question WAS what differences the different characters brought to the table, since from what I could tell the only one who offered any variety was the time-slowing girl. I was curious about what, if any, kind of differences the other characters would introduce. Your reply led me to believe you were saying “who cares if they’re not any different, just accept that these characters are reskins just like we ‘accept’ that Luigi is a reskin of Mario” and that was what I adressed in my reply.

Armane

I was merely commenting on how you seem to think a reskin serves no purpose. Even in spin-off games where Luigi is functionally identical to Mario, he serves a purpose; he is visually different from Mario. By comparing to Luigi it also brings forth the idea of being mechanically similar to but subtly different from otherwise functionally identical avatars; i.e. Luigi jumps higher than Mario but they both share the same abilities.

I thought that you were asking if they differ though, not how. Then you came to your own conclusion showing a shocking disregard for base gameplay mechanics (yes they will all have the rubber band hook, it’s kind of a big deal to the game). So I guess I got caught up on that and chose not to expand on how they differ.

Then we both went on a tangent and I inadvertently answered your question. So I guess that’s why we are having this discussion. A difference of opinion and a difference of interpretation.

Anyway, who cares if they’re not any different (or they are), just accept that these characters are reskins (or not) just like we ‘accept’ that Luigi is a reskin of Mario (sometimes). ;)

Göran Isacson

Ah. I guess that is a difference of opinion then, since I don’t really accept characters who are just reskins nowadays with no mechanical differences to the others. If they DO have differences, even minute ones then hey, that is all fine and dandy: I am well aware that you HAVE to have the rubber band hook because that’s what the game is built around. I will however not accept a character who IS a mere re-skin though, so we’ll have to agree to disagree there.

puchinri

Are you maybe thinking of the original Umihara? I wouldn’t be surprised to have seen it elsewhere though (its style is compared to Super Metroid, Castlevania IV and Bionic Commando though).

It might just be fun to have all of them, but I’m not sure whether it feels any story or gameplay utility.

Göran Isacson

Nah, I was tinking of something different- WORMS. Holy heck I was thinking of the Worms games, they had a grappling tool that played EXACTLY like the way this game plays it. That’s a weird blast from the past.

puchinri

The 1983 or the 1995 one? I only ever heard of the 1995 one (which actually came after Umihara; it’d be fun to compare the mechanics of the two).

Göran Isacson

Worms 2, in 1997 was the first time I got introduced to the series. It had a training mode where you had to use the ninja rope to traverse the world non-stop. Hard as hell and I was so proud of myself when I finally won.

puchinri

Ah, okay~. Yeah, I remember when I was young, my friend’s brother played it often. It’s rare to see it mentioned somewhere.

puchinri

Also, I just remembered, they do offer different gameplay bits. The time slowing for Nokko, and then Emi is the “easy” mode character. (I’m not sure about the difference between the two Umihara though.)

Sergio Briceño

It’s been so many years since Farewell, time to say hello. Ppfftt… Seriously now, this game can’t come out soon enough.

ShawnOtakuSomething

This game looks so pretty

Julien_N

It seems that they are no character-specific rankings, that could be an issue if the timeslowing character proves to be too effective and makes the stages way easier to complete. Unless slowing the action does not slow the time counter?

I am also curious to see how those graphics will look like in-game (even if the region lock says screw you… =/ ) because the Umihara Kawase games never looked especially fancy or high-tech, but they had a specific charm. While in those screeenshots, the 3D models look kinda awkward, and the camera effects are unsettling.

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